Some people believe that women should play an equal role as men in a country’s police
force, while others think women are not suitable for these kinds of jobs. Discuss both
views and give your opinion.
It is argued by many people that women should be treated the same as men in policing
jobs, while other schools of thoughts hold that women are unfit for this occupation. I
agree with the former thought for the reasons provided below.
There are a number of reasons why women’ abilities in the national law enforcement are
undermined. Firstly, women lack distinctive physical and mental attributes to excel as
police officers. Women tend to have lower compositions of skeletal muscles, weaker
respiratory systems and smaller body frames, which translates into their lower levels of
fitness. Therefore, they may find it difficult in completing intensive training sessions or
more importantly, fulfilling tasks inherent to the field. Secondly, research has shown that
men are likely to have clearer perceptions of hazards and quicker response to abrupt
situations such as sudden violent attacks or dangerously installed bombs. The biological
disadvantages might put female police and their teammates under serious threats and give
rise to a false impression that women should not be assigned the same tasks as men in the
police force.
On the other hand, I am of the opinion that it would be ill-advised to deem women’ roles
in the national police office unimportant. Women naturally have lower testosterone
levels, thus possess a calmer temperament that enables them to defuse hostile situations
and convince criminals to obey police’s orders. This characteristic also allows them to
use less authoritarian approach to resolve conflicts, which is possibly opposed to men’s
arguably aggressive methods such as excessive force or weapons. This can effectively
reduce the rate of fatality of parties involved and the chances of police misconducts. In
addition, there are increasingly more instances when women are the main suspects and
required to undergo rigorous inspection. However, these tasks are too sensitive for male
officer and may be deemed an act of sexual harassment; and in extreme cases, the police
have no choice but to release the suspects. In these circumstances, the involvement of
female police proves more effective.
In conclusion, although some people might be opposed to the participation of women in
the police force, I believe that women should be on an equal footing as men in this field
due to their aptitude for communication and restraints.
